What knowledge, skills and experiences have prepared you to serve as an Alvin ISD Board Trustee?
I retired from Harris County Juvenile Probation employee after dedicating more than 23 years of service as a Senior Lead Probation Officer and Clinical Therapist. Throughout my career, I worked tirelessly to advocate for students transitioning back into traditional educational settings, believing firmly that every child deserves access to a quality public school education and the resources needed to succeed.
I served as a strong advocate for my own daughter’s educational needs. As a parent of a child with learning disabilities (504), I actively participated in IEP meetings, seeking resources, and working with the educational support team to ensure student success. I continued to advocate for 504 services beyond high school.
Currently, I am successful business owner, overseeing business operations, policy development, and budgeting. Fiscal responsibility is one of my core strengths. Additionally, I deeply care about my clients, and service them with empathy, advocacy and integrity and consider the logistical needs of families. These are additional skills that I bring directly to advocating for students and staff.
I serve as the 1st Vice President of the Houston League of Business and Professional Women, and I am Co-Founder and Board Member for the Black Chamber of Brazoria County which demonstrates my ability to lead diverse groups and navigate complex organizational structures.
As a candidate for the school board, how will you ensure every student feels included, respected, represented, and protected—regardless of religion, sex, or disability—and how will you keep classroom instruction focused on academic learning and critical thinking rather than religious instruction?
We have to accept people for who they are. I believe every student deserves to be in a classroom where they feel safe, valued, and seen. That starts with clear district expectations: zero tolerance for discrimination, strong anti-bullying policies, and ongoing training for staff to support students of all backgrounds, abilities, and beliefs.
Public schools must remain focused on education for all students regardless of their religious beliefs, sex or disability. I believe in inclusion while ensuring classroom teaching is grounded in state standards, academic content, and critical thinking. My role on the board would be to protect that balance, so every student feels respected, valued, and accepted for who they are.
Schools face competing pressures — retaining teachers, sustaining extracurricular programs (athletics and the arts), educational excellence, and keeping class sizes manageable — all within constrained budgets. As a school board candidate, what specific approach would you take to balance these priorities so students receive high quality instruction and teachers are supported and retained?
Fiscal responsibility is one of my core strengths. Alvin ISD has a significant budget to work within. My approach would focus on teacher retention. I would ascertain that our teachers have competitive pay, manageable workloads, and work environment where they feel respected and supported. We cannot have strong schools without supported teachers.
Second, classroom impact. Funding decisions should prioritize what directly affects student learning: reasonable class sizes, instructional materials, and support staff. I support a budget where teachers can put in a request for supplies they need for their classroom within reason so that no funds are coming from their pay.
Third, well-rounded education. Athletics, fine arts, and extracurriculars are not extras, they are essential to student engagement, success and may serve as an outlet. I would advocate for maintaining these programs while seeking partnerships and grants to help offset costs.
Every decision should answer one question: How does this benefit students and support the people teaching them?
Recently, several books have been challenged or removed in our district and elsewhere. Parents already have the ability to opt their child out of individual books. As a school board candidate, what is your view on which types of books should be subject to removal from school libraries, and under what circumstances — if any — should the board override a library review committee decision to remove a title for all students? Titles often cited include: The Catcher in the Rye; Brave New World; Lonesome Dove; 1984; The Color Purple; To Kill a Mockingbird; Of Mice and Men; Beloved; The Bluest Eye; The Handmaid’s Tale; The Kite Runner; Maus; All Boys Aren’t Blue.
I believe in both parental rights and intellectual freedom. Parents should have the ability to guide what their own child reads. If those books are not available in the schools’ libraries, it is up the parents to provide that resource outside of school. While the story matters, I think we should look at well written literature.
When it comes to removing books for all students, that should be rare and handled carefully. Books should only be removed if they clearly fall outside educational value or are not age-appropriate based on established standards, not personal discomfort or differing viewpoints.
Library review committees exist for a reason. They include educators and professionals trained to evaluate materials. The board should respect that process and only step in if there is clear evidence that procedures were not followed fairly or consistently.
Our goal should be to expose students to diverse ideas while allowing families to make individual choices.
Artificial intelligence tools are becoming more common in education, offering potential benefits and raising new concerns. As a school board candidate, what do you see as the productive uses of AI in our schools, and what risks or limits should the district address as the technology becomes more prevalent?
AI is a tool, and like any tool, it can be used well or poorly. We cannot ignore the fact that Al exists and our students may be using AI.
AI can support personalized learning, help teachers with lesson planning, and give students access to additional academic support. It can be especially helpful for students who need extra assistance or different learning approaches.
However, we must set clear boundaries. That includes protecting student data, preventing over-reliance that limits critical thinking, and ensuring academic integrity. Students still need to learn how to think, not just generate answers.
The district should provide guidelines, training, and safeguards so AI enhances education without replacing the human element that makes learning engaging and meaningful.
Many students plan to enter the workforce directly after high school. Do you believe the district should expand vocational and career technical opportunities—including practical areas like personal finance—so students can graduate with strong, job ready skills? What role should the school board play in ensuring these pathways are accessible to all students?
Yes, I believe the district should expand vocational and career-technical opportunities for students planning to enter the workforce after high school.
Not every student is on the same path, and that’s okay. We should respect and prepare students for all futures, whether that’s college, military service, or entering the workforce.
I strongly support expanding career and technical education, including areas like personal finance, trade skills, and industry certifications. JB Hensler High School in Alvin ISD is a college and Career readiness educational institution that offer a range of programs focused on preparing students for career success. The school board’s role is to ensure these programs are accessible, well-funded, and aligned with workforce needs. That means building partnerships with local businesses, investing in facilities and training, and making sure every student, regardless of background, has access to these opportunities.
What do you feel are the top priorities for the Alvin ISD School Board within the next 3 years?
I feel the top priority for the Alvin ISD School Board is to close the post-pandemic literacy gap in early elementary.
Second, expand our Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs at Hensler so every student—whether college-bound or trade-bound—graduates with a clear path to a high-paying career.
Third, ensure every campus is safe physically and emotionally, with strong mental health support systems in place.
Fourth, keep great teachers in our classrooms by addressing workload, compensation, and respect.
Fifth, improve student outcomes by focusing on strong instruction, literacy, and critical thinking skills.
